Glasses raised to great Labour campaign

Faiza Afzaal

Members of the Ribble Valley Borough Council Labour Party have been recognised for their campaigning efforts.

Forty-two members crowded into the back room of the New Inn at Clitheroe, last Thursday, to discuss the election result.

Mr David Hinder, the Ribble Valley Labour candidate at the general election, thanked members for all their efforts in the recent campaign, which saw a surge from his 11,798 votes polled in 2015 to 18,720 in 2017.

Commenting on the success of the party, he said: “Our success in increasing the Labour vote by 60% was due to your hard work and a united Labour Party campaign. Labour remains united. In comparison to the turmoil we now see within the Conservatives, with Nigel Evans leading the charge against his own leader.”

Mr Hinder put the local Labour members on election alert, when he said: “The deal between the Tories and the DUP is inherently unstable and likely to fall apart at any time.”

Members toasted the best election result for Labour in the borough and Mr Hinder presented awards to members who had campaigned for Labour with the greatest enthusiasm.

Julian Dunn, from Low Moor, received an award for “Labour Leafletting Legend”, as he had delivered the most leaflets across the constituency. He received a decorated leafletting legend wooden spoon (campaigners use wooden spoons to help push leaflets through letter boxes).

Sheila Simpson, from Knowle Green, was named “most marginals visited” campaigner as she helped Labour’s campaigns in a string of north west marginal seats.